Retail clients to benefit from innovative and digitally connected experiences for their consumers and employees.

BARCELONA – 1 December 2015

Avanade today announced the launch of its Retail Center of Excellence in Barcelona dedicated to helping European retailers transform their businesses in the digital world. Developed in collaboration with Sitecore® and Microsoft Corp., this Center of Excellence will help retailers build digital, highly personalised consumer experiences that seamlessly engage customers online and in-store.

According to Accenture’s 2015 Seamless Retail Research Survey, enhancing consumers’ retail experience through the use of devices and connectivity – including the in-store shopping experience, which brings more customers into the store; closes in-store sales; increases online sales; and enriches the brand ecosystem, while delivering customer value. Creating omni-channel experiences is no longer an option, rather an important part of the equation to deliver a strong, connected retail experience.

“Reinventing the shopping experience of tomorrow is not just about implementing the next best-of-breed commerce website, mobile or point-of-sale app,” explained Andrew Smith, Avanade’s head of digital business for Europe. “It is about rethinking and rebuilding the entire retail business operating model and establishing an agile, digital platform to support that.”

The new Retail Center of Excellence brings together Avanade’s industry innovation and digital expertise, its Connected Retail solution and experience with the Microsoft Dynamics AX platform for Retail; its Digital Customer expertise around both the Sitecore Experience Platform and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This powerful combination was recently showcased at Expo 2015 in Milan. The Supermarket of the Future highlighted COOP Italia’s future of shopping experience and won the Expo 2015 Exhibitor Award for the best use of technology.

Additionally the Retail Center of Excellence explores the changing role of physical stores, showrooms and distribution centers in the customer experience. “Our Retail Center of Excellence brings together leading digital and retail experts, transformative tools and best practices,” explained Juan Gutierrez Botella, the newly appointed center lead at Avanade. “With the goal of helping our clients deliver customer experiences across digital, store applications and infrastructure that can inspire and reinvent their retail businesses of tomorrow. The only buyer’s remorse here will be from retailers who didn’t take advantage of the Retail Center of Excellence sooner.”

“Since its launch earlier this year, the experience with Sitecore Commerce 8 powered by Microsoft Dynamics, has been extremely positive, particularly with existing Dynamics AX customers,” said Lars Nielsen, Chief Development Officer at Sitecore. “With Avanade’s Retail Center of Excellence, we are able to support the skills and capabilities retailers will need to undergo a complete digital retail transformation; enabling retailers to connect-the-dots of their business.”

“We are working with Avanade and Sitecore on a number of strategic projects at some key retailers and we are looking forward to some additional announcements in early 2016,” added Brendan O’Meara, Microsoft Managing Director for Retail. “Microsoft will be in force at National Retail Federation’s (NRF) show again this year, and we plan to showcase some of the innovative work we are achieving together in the retail industry, along with the new Avanade Retail Center of Excellence.”

About Avanade

Avanade leads in providing innovative digital services, business solutions and design-led experiences for its clients, delivered through the power of people and the Microsoft ecosystem. Our professionals combine technology, business and industry expertise to build and deploy solutions to realize results for clients and their customers. Avanade has 27,000 digitally connected people across 23 countries, bringing clients the best thinking through a collaborative culture that honors diversity and reflects the communities in which we operate. Majority owned by Accenture, Avanade was founded in 2000 by Accenture LLP and Microsoft Corporation. Learn more at www.avanade.com.

About Sitecore

Sitecore is the global leader in experience management software. The Sitecore® Experience Platform™ manages content, supplies contextual intelligence, and automates communications, at scale. It empowers marketers to deliver content in context of how customers have engaged with their brand, across every channel, in real time. More than 4,400 of the world’s leading brands—including American Express, Carnival Cruise Lines, easyJet, and L'Oréal—trust Sitecore for context marketing to deliver the personalized interactions that delight audiences, build loyalty, and drive revenue. For more information, visit: sitecore.net.